I tried to imagine the contenders: tattooed women in green string bikinis posing with suggestively large bongs, looking like they would be equally at home on the playa at Burning Man and in the pages of Maxim. My interest was piqued, so I ordered tickets to the Expo as soon as I got home. I live in Southern California, the spiritual stoneland of the American weed enthusiast. Medical marijuana has been legal here since , and socially acceptable since long before that.
The medicinal cannabis community has come under fire after growing numbers of businesses have taken to using models in skimpy costumes and bikinis to flog their products. Pot dispensaries featuring 'bikini budtenders' have been likened to the beer industry's habit of using women in swimwear for their promotions to appeal to a largely male audience. Californian voters legalised the use of medical marijuana 15 years ago due to its benefits for AIDS and cancer patients. High point? The medicinal marijuana industry in California is awash with overtly sexual advertising that appeals to young men. Medical marijuana has also been proved to be beneficial for multiple sclerosis patients or car accident victims who suffer from chronic pain. However businesses like the California Organic Collective in Los Angeles and the Reserve dispensary in Sacramento appeal to the more recreational side of the industry, using girls in nurse outfits and bikinis smoking marijuana.
Her tone is glib, though she is clearly educated. She flexes a strong hashtag game, an eye for minimalist design. She is a beginner at reading tarot.
The stunning stoners are members of Nurses - a social network for models who smoke weed that allows them to chat with fellow smokers and cash in on their looks. Started in by President Vanessa "ChaCha VaVoom" Sahagun and her vice-president Summer "Rain" Pelletier, the website now has thousands of young women on their books who are trying to make a living from looking good while getting stoned. Weed business often need women who can roll a joint and even get stoned with customers all while keeping their cool. The website also provides a marketing and clothing store for the girls and the affiliated businesses. The all-female entrepreneurs are trying to make a honest living in a male dominated industry and are hoping to empower those around them.